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H. VAN HOEVENBERGH.

METHOD 0F PRINTING TELEGRAPEIGALLY.

Patented pr. 28, 1885.

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H. VAN HOEVENBERGH. METHOD 0F PRINTING TELEGRAPHIGALLY, No. 316,694.

Patented Apr. 28, 1885,

S14/vanto@ @vwd/momo wfg@ UNITED STATES p PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY VAN HOEVENBERGH, OF ELIZABETH, NEV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE BALTIMORE 8U OHIO TELEGRAPH COMPANY, OF BALTIMORE, MD.

SPECIFICATION fOrming pari'. Of Letters Patent NO. 316,694, dated April 28, 1885.

Application filed lAugust 7, 18H4. (No model.) I

To all whom t 11mg/ concern Be it known that I, HENRY VAN HoEvEN- BERGH, a citizen of the United States, residing in Elizabeth, in the countyof Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in PrintingTelegraph Instruments, of which the following is a speci-` fication.

My invention relates to the class of telegraphic instruments known as page and line printers.

The object of the invention is to provide, in connection with convenient means for advancing a movable type-wheel laterally across the face of a sheet of paper upon which the impressions are to be made, and for causing the same to be so actuated as to present the type to the paper in succession, means for impelling the type-wheel toward the paper' from any position which it may be caused to occupy in such manner that animpression will be effected by the particular type confronting'the paper.

In carrying out my invention I support a type-wheel of any convenient form upon an axis extending laterally across the front of the page upon which the impressions are to be effected, and cause the same to be revolved by means of any suitable form of escapement device. The type carried upon the type-wheel are thus caused to be successively presented to the paper.

For the purpose of moving the type-wheel laterally, and thus bringing it into the proper position to print the succeeding characters in a line of matter, aspirallygrooved rod or worm-shaft is employed. A nut fitting upon this rod is supported from the bearings of the type-wheel. When this spirally-grooved rod 1s rotated,the type-wheel is advanced from one extremity to the other of its shaft or supporting-rod. "A ratchetwheel and pawl are employed in connection with the spirally-grooved rod forgiving it a slight revolution each time an impression is effected, thereby causing it to advance the type-wheel laterally a distance equal to the width of the type and the space which it is designed shall separate two adjacent type.

For the purpose of effectingimpressions the shaft upon which the type-wheel is carried and the spirally-grooved shaft are both sup4 ported in a movable frame, the movements of which are controlled by an electro -magnet This electro-magnet, when vitalized, serves to move the entire frame, and thus to impel the type-wheel against the paper and effect an impression. 'The position of the impressions will depend upon the lateral positions occupied by the type-wheel, while the particular character 6o printed will depend uponthe distance through which the type-wheel has been revolved. During the movement of the type-wheel from the commencement to the end of the line the revolution of the worm-shaft is caused to wind a spring, and when the ty pe-wheel has reached the limit of its excursion, a complete line of characters having been printed, the drivingpawl and a retaining click or dog, which are applied to the worm-shaft, are'automatically 7o disengaged therefrom. The spring then serves to turn the rod in the direction opposite to that in which it has been revolved during the advance movement of the type-wheel, and it will thus be automatically returned to its starting-point. The pawl and click are then caused to again engage the ratchet-wheel.

[This application relates to the method of operating and controlling the instrument.- In another application of even date herewith, 8o Serial No. 189,887, the apparatus itself is claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is:

a front elevation of such parts of the printinginstrument as are necessary to illustrate the invention; and Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, showing the escapement and driving mechanism. Fig. 3 is an end view of the instrument, showing the organization of the device employed for moving the type-wheel oo laterally; and Fig. 4 illustrates certain details of construction.

Referring to these figures, A represents a type-wheel, which is carried upon a longitudinally-grooved shaft, B. The type -wheel is longitudinally movable upon the shaft, and is constructed with a feather, a, entering the groove b, formed in the shaft. fBy means of this feather and groove the type-wheel, While capable of moving laterallyin front of a sheet roo of paper, I), is also constructed to revolve with the shaft when the latter is actuated.

For thepurpose of rotating the type-wheel, and thus causing the successive type to be presented to the paper, a beveled gear-wheel', 1)', is carried at one extremity of the shaft B. This" gear-wheel is coupled with a second gear-wheel, yb?, .by means of a connectingrod, b3, having at its respective extremities.v

electro-magnets, C' and G2, inra manner welll understood.

Any suitable meansare applied to the shaftv c through thexgear-wheel c3 for the purpose of driving the same when it is released by the movements of the escapement-anchor.' The parts are so adjusted that by each vibration of the escapement-anchor, or for each two vibrations of the, same, as may be desired, a succeeding type upon the type-wheel A will be presented to the sheet of paper. An inkribbon is supported in any suitable manner infront ofthe type-wheel A-as, for instance, by means of two` rollers-so that when the typelwheel is caused to strike the paper an impression will be made of the character confronting the same.

-For the purpose of causing the type-wheel to be carried against the paper, and to thus effect an impression when it is so desired, the shaft `B is supported in a movable frame, D. This frame is pivoted by means of a bar or axis, d, which is supported in brackets or arms d and at its respective extremities. The axis d is preferably placed in the .same axial line with the arbor c of the scape-wheel,` so lthat the frame D may be turned thereon without causing the type-wheel A to be turned by them'ovement ofthe upper end of the shaft b3. The entire frame D is thus movable toward and away from the sheet of paper l?, upon which the. impressions are to be effected. This sheet of paper is carried in any suitable man-v ner over an impression-roller, toward which `the type-wheel is intended to be" forced. For

thefpu'rpose of thus actuating the frame D and the type-wheel A, an armature, 6,* is carried upon a bar, e supported in the frame D, and this armature is applied to an electro-magnet, E. A suitable retractile spring, e2, is employed for" normally holding the armature e away from its electro-magnet, and thus the is necessary that the type-wheelshould be moved laterally withreference to the paper,so

The anchor c 'is operatedby an out actuating the same. yframe D returns to its normal position after" ldog g2. supported in the frame D in such a manner lugs or rings k and k2. to be engaged by the bracket f of the typewheel A, or by the nut f, when the type-wheel is near the corresponding limit of its excur' as to be in position to print a succeed-ing character in the line.v For this purpose a threaded nut, f, is supported in a braeket,f, which loosely surrounds thehub a of the type-wheel, and this nut surrounds and is engaged by a threaded rod or worm-shaft, F. The rod F is supported at its respectivel extremities in the Yframe D, and the thread f 2, formed in the rod F, extends spirally from onev end to the other of the same. When the rod is revolved, the' typewheel is caused to move in one direction or the other, according to the direction ofthe revolution of the shaft or rod.

' For the purpose of revolving the shaft as it may be necessary for thus advancing the type-wheel laterally, a ratchet-wheel, g, is

applied to one end of the same, and this ratchet-wheelis designed to be'engaged byv means of apawl, g, which is supportedV upon j', an independent stationary portion of the frame lof the instrument. During the'forwardmove# ment of the frame D the ratchet-paw1 g passes freely over the teeth of the ratchet-wheel with- Vhen, however, the

an .impression has been effected, the teeth of the pawl engage the wheel and rotate the rod Fin the direction indicated by the arrow. Inz this manner the typewheel A is caused to be l be retained in its advanced position a retain.

ing click or dog, g2, is applied thereto, and' this click, by falling into the successive teeth as the ratchet-wheel is revolved, holds it in its successive advanced positions. After the, type-wheel has been caused in this manner to move from the left to the right hand limit Vof its excursion it is necessary that it should be in some manner returned to its starting-point.V For this purpose a spring, H, isapplied to the shaft or rod F, with which it is connected by a gear-wheel, h', anda pinion, 71.2, carried'upon the remaining extremityvof the shaft'F; This spring will be wound by the revolution of the shaft F when the type-wheel A is being' moved from the left to the right handlimit of its excursion. Vhen, therefore, it is dev sired to return the type-wheel to its starting-point, it is necessary only that the ratchetwheel g be releasedfrom the pawl g and To effect this a bar or small rod, k, is

that it is capable of 'a slight longitudinal movement. Near the'respective extremities of this bar or rod there are formed annular These lugs are designed sion. 'When the type-wheel is moved from the left hand toward the right hand, and they last character of a line has been printed, the'I IOO IIO

eeeding lateral movement of the type-Wheel the rod 7c will `be moved laterally toward the right hand. /Vhen, on the other hand, the

type-Wheel is moving in the opposite direction,

-are employed for causing the pawls and dog g and g2 to release and engage the ratchetwheel Gr. For this purpose the left-hand end of the rod is pivoted to one arm ofa lever, M. The remaining arm of this lever carries a beveled arm, m', which passes below the faces of the ratchet-pawl g and the dog g-. Vhen the rod 7c is moved toward the right hand,the beveled arm m is forced against the faces of the paWl and thel dog, and serves thus to throw the same out of engagement with the ratchet- Wheel. The shaft F immediately revolves under the influence of the springH, and causes the type-wheel to return to its starting-point at the left-hand limit of its excursion. The rod 7c is then moved toward the left-hand, and the'lever M is thus again actuated, causing the arm m to be moved out of engagement with the pawl and dog7 which thereupon again engages the ratchet-Wheel g, and the operation is repeated.

For the purpose of causing the paper sheet to be lifted upward after aline of impressions has been effected, any suitable Well-known means may be employed.

Any suitable form of unison device may be applied to the type-Wheel A and the shaft B for insuring that the type-Wheel is in unison with the transmitter. I prefer7 however, for this purpose to employ a pin, u, which projects from the frame D into the path of an arm7 u', carried upon the type-Wheel,When the typewheel is at the extreme left-hand limit of its excursion. By actuating the escapement When the type-Wheel has been returned to its starting-point the type-Wheel will be automatically arrested at its unison-point by means of the arm and pin. By thus giving it alateral movement it will be in position to print.

In practice I prefer to employ for the purpose of actuating the escapement device alternating currents of a given strength7 and for vitalizing the printing-magnet either currents of greater strength or of greater duration, as may be found convenient.

I claim as my invention The hereinbefbre-described method of printing telegraphically, Which consists in moving a type-Wheel transversely across the page upon which the impressions are to be made, revolving the type-Wheel in each of a series of positions which itis thus caused to successively occupy for bringing the desired type before the paper, andimpcllingthetype-Wheel against the paper in each of these positions.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 26th day of June, A. D. 1884.

HENRY VAN HOEVENBERGH. [L s] Witnesses:

DANL. W. EDGECOMB, GHARLEs -A. TERRY. 

